Link list

Image: Carbon Capture and Storage Association

UK Government pledges £22bn CCS investment

Read our commentary on the UK Government's £21.7bn pledge for carbon capture and storage (CCS)

October 2024
Edward Miliband ©House of Commons

Open Letter to Rt Hon Ed Miliband

Read our letter to Ed Miliband, and his colleagues at the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero, setting out the evidence as to why carbon capture and storage is vital for mitigating climate change

October 2024

Building on CCS Cluster Momentum

Read our commentary on how recent announcements of near-commercial CCS projects across the world emphasise the need for UK to move more quickly towards the large-scale capacity it needs to meet its net-zero targets by learning from established best practice elsewhere

December 2024

The value of international collaboration

The UK is world-leading in several aspects of CCS and other decarbonisation approaches – here we advocate using these to attract other countries to engage in partnerships, to share learnings and best practice, similar to that recently proposed with Norway.

December 2024

Public Accounts Committee Report on CCS, February 2025

Our commentary seeks to correct the errors and misconceptions in this report and to set its conclusions and recommendations in the context of the current status of CCS technology and business models

February 2025
St Fergus Gas Terminal with the Acorn and Viking project logos superimposed

2025 Spending Review: UK CCUS Status and Future Challenges

Following the confirmation of UK Government support for the Track 2 CCUS low-carbon clusters, our commentary reflects on the further funding clarity that is needed and reviews the current status of CCUS in the UK and the challenges that lie ahead

June 2025

Extended 45Q Tax Credit in Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill

As part of President Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill, the scope of the US 45Q tax credit for CO2 storage has been extended to include Enhanced Oil Recovery (EOR) and other commercial applications using CO₂. Our commentary discusses the pros and cons of this expanded CCUS tax credit and warns that such approaches must be accompanied by transparent monitoring and accounting of the greenhouse gas mitigation benefits

July 2025

New Study on Global Carbon Storage Capacity is No Gamechanger

A recent article in Nature by Gidden et al claims to establish ‘a prudent planetary limit of around 1,460 Gt of safe CO2 geologic storage,’ which an associated press release said has great policy and practical implications because it is almost ten times smaller than previous estimates. We explain this study should be viewed with caution as it relies on a simplistic methodology, and that even this ‘prudent’ estimate represents ~125–270 years of CO2 storage, more than enough to fulfil its role in achieving net zero and allow the transition to other increasingly effective long-term decarbonisation solutions this century

September 2025

Cement’s Carbon Challenge – and Why Carbon Capture Matters

Commercial-scale carbon-capture systems for cement plants are finally moving from concept to reality – a crucial development for one of the toughest sectors to decarbonise. This commentary summarises the main issues Imperial Towards Net Zero Group member Professor Paul Fennell highlighted in a recent New Scientist discussion on carbon capture and cement.

October 2025

Direct Air Capture in the UK’s Net Zero Strategy

Achieving the UK’s net zero emissions target will require not only reducing current emissions but also removing carbon dioxide already present in the atmosphere, using so-called negative emissions technologies. One technology attracting growing attention for this purpose is Direct Air Capture (DAC). This commentary aims to provide a neutral overview of DAC’s role and implications for policymakers and energy professionals. It also includes a summary of a recent Times Radio interview by Professor Paul Fennell which discussed both the potential and the limitations of DAC within the UK’s broader decarbonization strategy.

October 2025
Oil rig with sunset

A Just Transition for the UK North Sea makes economic sense

Despite the fact that natural gas will continue to be part of the UK’s energy mix for several decades, the government is unwilling to grant new licences on the UKCS and the UK now needs to import over 50% of its gas supply. This, alongside the imposition of windfall taxes, is having a major effect on the livelihoods of many communities. We argue that a different systems approach, which exploits our own North Sea gas linked to the growth of CCUS clusters and offshore wind, can maintain tax revenues, address energy security, preserve and grow employment and provide a pathway to a more Just Energy Transition for the UK.

December 2025
Plot of rising oil prices, oil rugs and banknotes

Decarbonised fossil fuels - and the real cost of oil and gas

The war in the Middle East again demonstrates the strong impact of wars and world events on energy costs. Yet there is an energy cost arising from another war, against catastrophic climate change, which we largely choose to ignore – the real cost of using fossil fuels in the only way that is ethical, by decarbonising them. This commentary addresses how we honestly address this issue, adding our support for Carbon Takeback Obligations as a mechanism for funding this to ensure a smooth, just energy transition.

March 2026

Link List 2

Questions about CCS

The 'great carbon capture con' - real or missing the point?

A Guardian article by George Monbiot on 8 July entitled 'The great carbon capture con: behold the wasted millions Burnham could claw back' claims that the UK’s government investment in CCS is not needed and will cost the public purse over ten times more than the current investment of £21.7bn. However, it is based largely on unconfirmed speculation regarding the finance numbers and misunderstanding of realistic routes to achieving net-zero emissions by 2050. This commentary challenges the article's assertions and explains why CCS is an essential and cost-effective part of reaching net-zero.

July 2026
Schematic illustrating uses of green hydrogen

What About Hydrogen? The case for Seasonal Energy Storage

What is the best way for the UK to use hydrogen? We set out the case here for using it alongside renewable power generation to provide seasonal energy storage for balancing weekly and monthly supply variations, especially in the summer. Combining green hydrogen production, from excess renewable electricity on sunny and windy days, with underground hydrogen storage and either combustion or fuel cell power generation, would provide the backup generating capacity currently provided by unabated natural-gas-fired thermal power plants, on a scale sufficient to span a winter 'dunkelflaute' - a period without wind or sunshine.

August 2026
Close-up of filling diesel tank

The UK diesel position - a potential national emergency?

Average UK diesel prices reached 200.1p/litre on 1 October, caused mainly by hostilities in the Middle East and Ukraine. However, for the UK the worsening situation is compounded by a number of long-term structural problems. The UK imports around 55% of its road diesel, with roughly a third of those imports coming from the US, which has now threatened to restrict exports. Reported UK stocks cover around six weeks, compared with six months elsewhere in Europe. This commentary asks whether this situation should now be treated as a potential national emergency and suggests what action could be taken.
October 2026
Oil rig in the sunset

Jackdaw licence approved - will Rosebank follow?

The Jackdaw gas field approval is good news for UK energy security and jobs, contributing to a just energy transition. Yet a decision on the Rosebank oil-gas field has yet to be taken and there are indications that the government may not approve this. This commentary looks at what should be done about UK gas consumption in the light of the Jackdaw decision and sets out why the case for approving Rosebank is just as strong, with concerns about exporting its oil for refining and its higher lifetime carbon emissions posing little threat to energy security or achieving net-zero by 2050.

October 2026